Saturday, November 15, 2014

Elizabeth Warren’s Populist Message Stirs Tensions Among Democrats - Not All Believe Turn to the Left Is What the Party Needs [You've got that right!]

Not many Democrats emerged from the midterm election rubble unscathed. One exception may be Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat who is becoming a new center of gravity in a demoralized party.

In a nod to her growing influence, Senate Democrats rewarded the populist firebrand with a spot in the party’s leadership this week. A group called “Ready for Warren” said it would step up its efforts to draft her for a presidential bid and plans to hire staff in states with early nomination contests.

The number of small donors to the group rose eightfold compared with the week before the election, said Erica Sagrans, Ready for Warren campaign manager and a former Obama campaign aide.

But not all Democrats are sold on the idea that a turn to the left is the change the party needs, setting up a potentially tumultuous debate between the party’s liberal wing and its grandees.

“It’s clear that if we even have a shot at the White House we can’t get there if we have someone more left-leaning than Hillary Clinton , ” said Vince Insalaco, chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party.